The Bunker – Your daily news Deep Dive

Who has the new PM surrounded herself with – and how much power do they wield? Alex Rees is joined by columnist, Bunker regular and Westminster gossip maven Marie Le Conte to discuss the cosy coterie of hardcore conservative think tanks shaping her policy, and what it takes for a political obsessive to be by a minister’s ear. 

• “For junior roles, you need to prove your loyalty from the get-go, and only then are you rewarded.” 
• “Truss is the continuity candidate of Boris Johnson.” 
• “Truss is firmly from the small-state side of the party.”
• “Think tanks have created a space where, in the long run, they can influence policy.” 

Written, presented and edited by Alex Rees with guest Marie Le Conte. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After U-turning on their mini budget, do Kwarteng and Truss have a vision beyond lining their mates pockets? Plus, with mutiny in the ranks, including from general-election-calling Nadine Dorries, what’s the latest from the Tory conference? And, after Truss’s grilling on regional radio last week, we ask where would we be without local journalism? This week’s guest is Richard Hayton, associate professor of politics at the University of Leeds.

• “The atmosphere at the Tory conference is weird, but everyone agrees Truss is either out or can’t get any lower.” – Marie Le Conte
• “This is the first time I have seen the Bank of England rescue a government from its own policies.” – Andrew Harrison
• “Truss tells a joke and painfully holds out for a laugh which is never coming.” – Marie Le Conte
• “The good bit of Kwarteng’s speech was that it was very short.” – Justin Quirk

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba

Presented by AndrewHarrison with Justin Quirk, Marie Le Conte and guest Richard Hayton. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kami-Kwazi pulls the 45p tax cut as the curtain goes up in flames at Tory Conference. Can Truss style this one out or is she already toast? Plus, what Putin’s criminal annexation of parts of Ukraine means; Bolsonaro does better than he expected in Brazil ; and is Britain finally rowing back from kneejerk Europhobia? Ros Taylor plots out the next seven days with Justin Quirk. 

• “This u-turn is a massive deal – it’s an embarrassment for all concerned.”
• “Could Truss even persuade anyone else to be her Chancellor now? Except maybe Mogg…”
• “This u-turn raises doubts about Truss’s whole raison d’être.”
• “This Government will be on its knees and exhausted by the time it leaves power.”

Support us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba

Written and presented by Justin Quirk and Ros Taylor. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Lead producer: Jacob Archbold. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As surveillance becomes ever more sophisticated, should we be worried? From borderless security guards to Deep Fakes, what do we need to know about the changes to this technology? Jelena Sofronijevic is joined by Kirstie Ball, professor of management at the University of St. Andrews and Pete Fussey, professor of sociology at the University of Essex to discuss the possibilities and pitfalls in this developing digital realm.

• “Surveillance is about power, so we really have to ask how that power is being wielded.” – Kirstie Ball
• “The future of surveillance may look exciting, but it's often taking away rights in the name of convenience. It’s like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.” – Kirstie
• “Surveillance can really erode interpersonal trust.” – Pete Fussey
• “It’s important to think about the mundanity of surveillance, because it's the boring stuff that will transform our lives.” – Pete Fussey

Support us on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba

Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The financial meltdown Truss and Kwarteng have caused has surprised even their greatest detractors. But seriously, just how bad is this? And is there any way to fix it – even if they wanted to? David Blanchflower, former member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, Dartmouth economics professor and author, joins Alex Andreou to discuss the situation. 

• “Markets prevent clueless amateurs doing stupid things… but nobody trusts you, nobody believes you, electorally it’s a disaster. Who actually supports this stuff? 
• “I have never seen such abject incompetence in my entire life.”
• “We need sensible people back in the room asking, ‘What can we do to rectify the disaster they’ve created?’”

www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba

Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speeches can make or break a politician – so, Liz Truss looks like she’s in trouble. What can she do to improve? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Dr. Henriette van der Blom, the founding director of the Network for Oratory and Politics at the University of Birmingham to discuss the art of political speeches and “deliver, deliver, deliver” some advice to the new PM. 

• “Truss’s inaugural speech was by far her worst.”
• “Truss’s speeches have developed, but they haven’t become better.”
• “Truss is appropriating Thatcher's image but the public will only believe her if she is seen as genuine.” 

Support us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live:

https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba

Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Giorgia Meloni’s victory sparks concern across Europe, we discuss what you need to know about Italy’s new PM. How surprising, and worrying, is it that Italy has moved to the right? Alex Andreou is joined by Chiara Albanese, Bloomberg's Rome-based political correspondent, to explore Meloni’s track record and ask what kind of leader she’ll be. 

• “She is brushing off her fascist roots to appeal to more people.”
• “She is woman, but she isn’t a feminist. This isn’t a victory for women.” 
• “The right are holding power because they are a coalition, but the Italian left is totally fragmented.” 

www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba

Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Viktor Orbán seize total power within Hungary – and what warnings should other nations take from his actions? Doomsday Watch host Arthur Snell is joined by Zsolt Enyedi, professor of political science at the Central European University, to unpack what lessons democracies should take from the Orbán era.     

• “The public treated the radicalisation of debate as a political gimmick, and now we are seeing the disastrous effects.” 
• “Orbán is stronger than he was a year ago, and is only getting stronger.” 
• “Orbán put in an enormous amount of money to change how people inside and outside of Hungary think.”  

Support us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live:

https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba

Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fiscal event of the year has caused the pound to plummet – what, if anything at all, are Truss and Kwarteng thinking? Plus, could Labour have chosen a better time to have their conference with the Tories in turmoil? We discuss Starmer’s vision for a future government. And, we ask what makes a truly great sportsperson after tennis star Federer’s retirement. 

• "There's no clever strategy behind it. They've just fucked it up." – Tom Peck
• “The economics announcement left the pundit gang confused that WE didn’t know what the government was doing, but they had no idea the whole time.” – Tom Peck
• “Every Tory leader thinks they’re a Phoenix, but the Tories have been in power for twelve years. It’s like shitting yourself, getting a haircut and blaming it on someone else.” – Ahir Shah
• Starmer's problem is that he's facing young people who see radical solutions as the only solution." – Tom Peck

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba

Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ahir Shah, Justin Quirk and Tom Peck. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mini-budget backlash has given Labour plenty of ammunition to use against the Tories as their party conference gets into swing. Just how bad have Kwarteng and Truss’s plans gone down? And what fallout can we expect? Plus, we look at the latest from Russia, as Putin’s draft faces widespread protests. And, we unpack the Italian election results. 

• “Despite efforts from right-wing client media, market reaction to this budget has been bad.” – Alex Andreou
• “The one thing that stimulates growth is faith in the Government, and the markets don’t have it.” – Alex Andreou 
• “”The Ukrainian army has gained more equipment from Russia in the last week than from the West in the last six months.” – Alex Andreou 
• “When a vast majority turn against you in an autocracy, you tend to lose your head.” – Alex Andreou 

Support us on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba

Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.